My life's just taken a 180 degree turn (A Homestuck Fan Adventure)
by ToxicTangent
Summary: 6 unsuspecting teens find their lives turned upside down upon receiving a copy of Sburb Beta. What adventures will they face in the medium? Will they succeed in the numerous challenges thrown at them? Will they even survive to see their own planet? This is a story of triumph, loss, hope, despair and at the heart of it all, friendship. Note: This story is in the 2nd Person.
1. Chapter 1: Off on a Tangent (Already?)

Note: Hello there, this is my first proper fanfiction so please bear with me! This story is based on Homestuck, but there will be a few tweaks to the concept of Sburb and the likes. Worry not, I will do my best to adhere to keep the concept canon and not veer off into something indistinguishable!

That being said, this is a fan adventure, so there will not be any canon characters in this story.

Ok, without further ado...

* * *

Chapter 1: Off on a Tangent (Already?)

Your name is Steve Norwood, and unless you're still dreaming or your clock is screwing with you, you're going to be late for school if you stay in this bed any longer.

_What a spectacular start to the day._

The covers fly off as if they were somehow repelled from the mattress, and you hastily fling open the cupboard and grab a set of uniform. Under your breath, you mutter at the stupidity of not setting the alarm the night before, and slam the toilet door shut. The alarm sits by your side table; unassumingly, innocently.

10 minutes later and you're hurtling down the stairs; hair still wild like an unkempt bush and with books haphazardly stuffed into your bag. Your mother arches her eyebrow as you stumble into the dining room with all the grace of a roller-skating elephant. "You forgot to set your alarm, didn't you."

You give her a clumsy smile and whisk a sandwich off the table as you make a beeline for the door. "I'm sorry I can't have breakfast at home today, I'm kind of pressed for time! See ya later!" you manage to blurt out, as she sighs and nods sagely in response. It doesn't take long for you to get your socks and shoes on, and you're out of the house in a jiffy.

Outside, the roads are jam-packed with cars, obviously in a hurry to drop off their passengers to school. _Why don't they just get off and walk? _You settle into a brisk walk, while still managing to duck in and out of the weaving motorbikes on the lane. Somewhere in the distance, you hear the ringing of the school bell, but it doesn't faze you in the slightest. A quick glance of the watch indicates that it is merely 7:50, and there is always a 5 minute grace period for getting to class, (plus an extra 3 due to the nature of your form teacher) which leaves plenty of time to get to school. _Nothing to worry about._

Sure enough, your classmates are still waiting outside the homeroom as you finish ascending the last set of stairs. (Lucky break this year, your home-room's on the first floor.) Most of your classmates are chattering amongst themselves, save for one of them who notices you and waves a greeting. Said classmate is a tall, slender girl with inky-black hair and a chestnut brown complexion. Oh, and her name is Reyna Perez. She smiles cheerily as you walk up to her. "Hey there, Steve. Just in time again." You chuckle in response. "Honestly, she either spends 3 minutes pretending not to notice that we're out here, and then opens the door and and says 'What are you standing outside here for? Come in, come in!'" You mime a sassy hand gesture while slurring your words _comme le Français, _which elicits a laugh from Reyna."And it's either that, or she's not even inside and shows up late," she adds. Today it's the former, and the both of you steal knowing looks as she opens the door and says the _exact same words. _Honest to God.

Time seems to fly by as the first two lessons pass without a hitch. You find that you're the first one downstairs at the usual hangout corner, thanks to your prior lesson being on the first floor.

_Grrrrrumble. _

Oh yeah, you haven't had a chance to eat breakfast, thanks to the very wise decision of not setting an alarm clock. Thankfully, your sandwich is still stuffed in the side pocket of your bag, albeit slightly squashed. It doesn't matter, a slightly squashed sandwich is better than no sandwich. You've just taken a few bites when Reyna shows up as well, already tucking into a leafy green salad. There is a mutual and comforting silence as the both of you finish off your meals.

Ah yes, in the light of recent events, you haven't even had time to introduce yourself. Your name (in case it wasn't clear) is Steven Norwood, but almost nobody calls you that. It's always 'Steve', and the only exception to the rule is an angry mother. You like jogging and are also an adept and reluctant swimmer. You enjoy lounge music and electro swing, but in actual fact you don't give a damn about what you listen to, as long as it's not too intense. In your spare time you play loads of video games and write fanfics, and you've even dallied in computer building once. It was a perplexing task and sort of a failure; as to this day the monitor remains catatonic and you can't for the life of you figure out why.

A loud noise jolts you from your introspective musings. You turn around and realise that the source of this interruption has come from the other two girls of your little group, whom have just arrived. It really is a puzzling sight at first glance. One of them is clutching her sides and totally beside herself with uncontrollable laughter. This hysterical lass goes by the name of Sally Lim. Yukie Nakagawa is the name of the other girl. At this moment in time, her face is slightly red and she's stamping her foot, while repeatedly saying "That's not what I said!"

You arch an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Yukie pauses in her fit of embarrassment to notice that you're casually observing the entire spectacle, and this serves to make her flush an even deeper red. "I-I didn't say anything wrong! Just… Sally's thinking dirty again!" You take a quick look in Sally's direction, only to notice that she's whispering into Reyna's ear. _Oh my god, Reyna looks like she's about to burst in hysterics._ Judging from the entire spectacle, and the fact that Reyna is now gasping for air between palpitations of mirth, you decide that it is best that you don't know what's going on. Once, your IT teacher busted an intercostal muscle trying to keep a sneeze in while invigilating in an exam hall, and you don't wish to suffer the same fate.

You sit down and polish off the last of your sandwich while the others are cooling off. Just as you get up and make for the water cooler, an arm comes out from nowhere and grips you in a bear-hug, while the other is poised at your throat. Surprise flickers in your conscience for all of half a second, and then you finally grin and say "Oh. Who else could it possibly be."

The assailant spins you around and regards you with a face of puzzlement and faint amusement, and replies "You know Steve, I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad about that."

Of course, it's this guy. Keita Kawaguchi; aspiring golfer, die-hard anime fan and collector of gunpla. He's around your height now, but there was a time where he was much shorter, and the tips of his spiky black hair had only reached your eyebrows back then. A little sigh escapes your lips, as you realise that your growing days are probably numbered. Yukie's shoulder-length hair bobs up and down as she starts to talk about the upcoming Physics test, which results in Sally yelping with surprise and scrabbling around for a nearby Physics book to read. A picture of a green house on one of the topics in the book reminds you of something. "Hey guys, when's your copy of Sburb coming?", you ask.

The mention of the game rings a few bells with the rest of the group, and Sally mentions that they'll all be receiving a downloadable copy from Steam later today. Just as quickly as it started, ringing of the school bell brings breaktime to a close. There's a general murmur of excitement as you climb the stairs, while discussing the fortuitous nature of being selected to try out the Beta version of the game.

Time seems to whiz right by, as day unfolds itself without further excitement. The teachers are unflappable as always, and you grimace when you end up doing absolutely nothing in Economics. Such is the way of school life. Fifteen minutes later, you arrive home and immediately check your computer. Yep, there it is, the Sburb Beta. You let it download in the background while you hastily finish the only assigned homework you were given, which happens to be from Economics. _Geez, what a guy. The only work we ever do is homework. _Dinner comes and goes. Today, it's a lovely bowl of bibimbap which leaves you stuffed and chuffed as well.

The guys ring the Skype call at 8pm to play a daily game of Dota 2. You've only played this game for a few weeks, but you're starting to get the hang of it. At least, that's what you think until Keita wipes the floor with your ass again. Interestingly, one of the first heroes you tried playing was a purple hammerhead bastard by the name of Faceless Void, whose main power is time control and is notorious for being hard to play, and for screwing up everyone (preferably the enemy, but in the hands of an unskilled player it's usually the allies). _How hard could it be? _You thought, until you found yourself on the receiving end of loss after loss. Yep, this guy was not your 'guy'. Since then, you've stuck to a choice few heroes that you can play half-decently on a good day. You're still learning, after all. After your daily game, you thank the gang for the match and check steam once again. Sburb's still going. _Man, what a huge game. And it's only Beta! _You decide to go onto 9gag while the game continues downloading.

You're pretty sure your clock is messing with you when you notice that both hands are pointing to the ceiling. A quick check of the computer dashboard, and the clock wins the legitimacy debate again. _Man, you seriously have to stop questioning the clock, because 90% of the time it's right. No matter how innocent it looks._ Instead of shutting it down, you lock the computer with every intention to leave Sburb downloading overnight. It's still on 42%. _Gee, what impressive internet speed you have._ You stumble off to brush your teeth in record time, and then flop onto the bed.

You fall asleep almost instantly.


	2. Chapter 2: Obscured Lucidity

Chapter 2: Obscured Lucidity

A bright light infiltrates your vision, chasing out the drowsiness like a bucket of water to the face. You sit up on your bed, only to realise that something's not quite right.

_Why is your room yellow?_

Everything in your room, from the very bed you're sitting on to the awesome Goofy hat you got at Disney World two years ago is tinted in hues of custard yellow to ochre. You look down and realise that you're not even wearing the pyjamas you had on before going to sleep. Instead, it's replaced with a yellow long-sleeve emblazoned with a white crescent moon. You've even got matching trousers. The material feels very comfortable and familiar to you, as if you had spent a long time in this outfit. You get off the bed and notice two more important things; the first is that your window no longer provides you with a _splendid_ view of your neighbours, and the second is that the door leading to the rest of your house is gone.

_A dream. Yes, this is a dream._ You look out of the window, and the sight that greets you leaves you bamboozled. Outside of your window, a magnificent golden city lies sprawled out over the land. You can make out various buildings with intricate and ornate architecture, and the general milling about of odd looking white mannequins. Mannequins are the best way you can describe them in a word, at least. They're dressed in colourful garments and have very round heads, with only basic facial features such as a pair of beady eyes and a mouth. Looking further into the distance, it becomes clear that you are only on the moon of this golden city-planet, and that there is a chain of impossible length and width anchoring the moon to the planet.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a door leading out from your bedroom. Could it be that you're a prisoner in this room? This revelation makes you feel a little uneasy, but then you decide that it isn't the case, because the windows remain unbarred. _That's right, it's a dream. Hey, Earth to Steve. It's a LUCID DREAM. Go wild!_ You jump for joy at this opportunity to do whatever the hell you want, but then stop abruptly for fear of waking yourself up. You climb onto the window pane and look down. _Holy shit, that's a long drop._ You hesitate for 5 seconds, and then you leap out of the window.

For a terrible moment, you feel as if you are falling. Your eyes widen in panic, but then you realise that you're not dropping at all. The ground remains a long way from your current position, and then a wide grin breaks across your face. _Start flying already, godammit! _The ground rushes up to greet you as you swoop down into the alleys of the golden city. A few of those white mannequins yelp in surprise as you hurtle down the gilded streets, laughing with wild abandon. You've only ever had one other lucid dream, where you were flying around a bustling metropolis. In some ways, this is similar, except the atmosphere is different here. Instead of a vibrant atmosphere with flashing lights and high-rise skyscrapers, there is now a dignified air which exudes from the grandiose arches and sweeping spires that span the moon and the planet.

Flying is just like how you remember it to be. Your direction and speed seem to be controlled by your will; however there seems to be a limit to how fast you can go before you start to get a headache. A shady alcove catches your eye, and you land softly onto the yellow floor with a 'tmph'. You take a moment to drink in the scenery of your surroundings, when your line of sight falls upon two white mannequins on a bridge closeby. Something about them seems slightly different from all the others that you've glanced at. One of them has an elongated oval head instead of the usual roundish-shape that you've noticed so far. Instead of beady black eyes, this strange looking figure has horizontal slits. He notices your presence and proceeds to mutter something into a walkie talkie. A sudden breeze carries his words to you: "It's time."

The oval headed figure then walks away from your location, down the bridge. The other figure is unusually short, perhaps even the shortest one you've seen. He too notices your presence and waves a greeting, which you return with a smile. The little one is positively jubilant at your reciprocation of mutual amiability, and proceeds to do a quirky little dance with the white umbrella in his hand. _Adorable, indeed._

You decide to leave the little umbrella-wielding dancer to his devices, and head further into the alcove. The corridor ahead is lengthy and filled with patterns that weave in and out of one another, and you gain a newfound respect for the artisans who probably toiled for a long time to finish building the city. The corridor opens into a spacious room with a domed roof in similar shades of yellow. There's a rather large computer in the centre and a console with various buttons which mean nothing to you for the time being. Carved onto the surrounding walls are twelve symbols, some more discernible than others. The picture of the sun is pretty obvious: it's meant to represent light. The one with the heart could have some sort of link with the soul, or something. One of them looks like a skull, and another the stem of a plant. What could they mean? There's more as well. A pair of wings, wavy lines (water, perhaps?), a gear, a picture of a bloody cut…

A bright light catches your attention. It seems like the computer has turned itself on. _Weird. Do computers usually do that in dreams? Then again, this has been one pretty crazy dream altogether. _A sentence appears on the screen:

Steve, over here.

_My my._

_How does this machine even know your name? If this isn't creepy, you don't know what is. What if this entire dream turns into a nightmare?_

Hello. Earth to Steve. Come in, Steve.

You approach the computer. It's a little clunky and the keyboard makes a loud TAKTAKTAK sound when you type, but that's the least of your worries when you realise that you're _communicating with a goddamn computer. _

"Hello?"

There we go. That took a while, didn't it?

"Um…"

I know, it's probably weird that you're talking to a computer. Trust me, that's not the case.

"Oh, so you're like, a person typing this in?"

Yeah.

"Oh cool. Wait, how do you know my name?"

I have my ways ;)

"Fuck. Are you a stalker? Why the fuck are you stalking me in my own dream? Who are you?"

I can't tell you right now. But what I can tell you is pretty interesting and important, so listen up.

"Why? What are you going to tell me, that I have 10 minutes to live if I don't tell you my address?"

Jesus Steve, calm down. I'm not a stalker, now listen up ok?

"...Fine. But if this conversation gets weird, then I'm outta here."

Fair enough.

"Ok, so what is it?"

You'll be interested to know that I've got the reports of the title test that was conducted on you and your friends.

"What? What title test? Why am I not aware of this?"

Don't ask me. All I have are the results. Anyways, here's the thing. All of your friends have very clear cut results, based on their personalities. There's the occasional tie, but never more than two possible titles. The computer seems to have sorted out which one to give them, at any rate.

"Ok. Then what about me?"

You...well… It seems that the computer is unsure about you. Your test has produced 4 possible results, and currently it's undecided as to which one it's going to give.

"Err… ok… then what?"

Heh. I guess that's my job now.

"Oh great… I don't know how to feel about this. I mean, my fate's being decided by a total stranger here."

Relax Steve. Look, I'm even going to let you in on your choices. There's Hope, Void and Time. Heart was your other choice, but it's taken.

"They all sound pretty cool I guess."

Alright… hmm… which one to give? Ah well, in hindsight there really is only one choice anyway. I can't believe the computer couldn't narrow it down. Oh well, it's only a computer.

"…?"

Stand back Steve, I'm about to press a button.

A loud rumbling reverberates through the chamber. Three symbols light up; the pair of wings, the wheel of apostrophes and the gear. The rumbling intensifies and the ground shakes beneath your feet as the symbols of Hope and Void suddenly go dark, leaving the cog shape lit. Once the other symbols go dark, the rumbling stops just as suddenly as they began.

How was that?

"I don't know what the hell just happened. A lot of rumbling, then the pair of wings and the weird not-pinwheel lit up and turned off again. The gear one is pretty bright now."

Awesome.

"What did you do?"

Well, I gave you time.

"Oh. Am I supposed to be getting out of here or something?"

Heheheh. Yeah go and do that, you might just be waking up soon.

"Um, ok. Thanks, whoever you are."

No problem. Just doing my job ;)

The computer goes dark after that. You decide to head back out in the most hasty manner you can muster, for who knows what horrible terrors your mysterious benefactor has stalled to aid your escape. The alcove comes quickly back into sight, and you leap off into the air. Sure enough, there's a nagging feeling that you're about to wake up. Faster than a speeding car, you whiz right up and make for your bedroom, but your field of vision is already beginning to close in. The yellow globe which houses your bedroom looms in closer than expected, and you step on the mental brakes to try and slow down the approach.

However, it seems that you are a little late in doing so. You curse yourself for not thinking this whole madcap flying thing through, and desperately will the approach angle into what you hope is the critical amount to the normal, so that you can be refracted back into your fluffy bed without injury.

Unfortunately, your mind is so scattered that you forget basic Physics terminology, which is that _a flying person and a ray of light are two very different things, dipshit. There isn't even a change in medium to being with._ You careen through the open window, skid off the bed and crash right into your wardrobe.

You're out like a light.


	3. Chapter 3: The Stage is Set

Chapter 3: The Stage is Set

Somewhere between the realms of unconsciousness and waking, you drift. A loud voice booms in the distance, and you can make out a single coherent sentence. "Great power comes unsought. Prove yourself worthy and claim your aspect, for it is yours by right." For an instant, the voice fills the void and surrounds you entirely. It gradually dissipates into numerous smaller echoes, and a white light slowly engulfs your vision.

The first thing that you see as your eyes open is an incredibly detailed rendition of your wardrobe door. A slow, dull ache creeps into your consciousness from countless points on your battered body. There's a lack of overwhelming yellow in your room, and you're wearing your own pyjamas again. The bed is strangely hard for some reason, and that's when it dawns on you that are not on your bed at all; you have fallen off in the light of your vivid dreams_. _You mumble unintelligibly to yourself as you get up and reach for your glasses, limbs protestingly and painfully stiff. _That's it man, no more apple juice before bedtime._

Just then, the alarm sings the song of it's people; indicating that it is now 7 am and you've got to wake up on this fine morning, gotta get fresh gotta go downstairs, gotta have your bowl gotta have cereal, and _oh my god did that song just bust it's way into your brain? _You direct a withering stare towards the alarm, who is clearly at fault and is still enthusiastically beeping away. Honestly, this clock has no regard for tact at all. You flick off the alarm and give the clock another scowl to show your disapproval. The clock stares back at you with it's quirky half-smile made by the minute and hour hands. Sighing to yourself, you ruffle your unkempt brown hair, trudge to your wardrobe and pick out a set of uniform. _Well then, it's Friday. Friday, and you've gotta get down-STAIRS. GET DOWNSTAIRS. GOD. That song is too annoying and catchy for it's own good._

* * *

The bell heralds the start of break time, and you make your way out of Geography with the events of last night's dream still fresh in your mind. This time, Sally and Yukie are already there, with another girl who you recognise as Janet Green. She's a cheerful one with a talent for drawing, and her long chestnut-blonde hair is tied in her trademark braid. She highlighted her hair last summer, and now a streak of emerald runs down the right side of her long hair and criss-crosses its way through her elaborate braid. Her chipped glasses neatly frame a pair of vivacious frost-green eyes which sparkle whenever she's excited. Judging by the way she's hopping energetically on the spot, it's no wonder her glasses bear the marks of her adamant tendencies. She sees you approaching, and greets you with a big "HEY STEVE~!"

You return her greeting, and find yourself immediately swept into a flurry of chatter involving the latest book she's read and a cosplay store she's been meaning to bring everyone to visit. Reyna and Keita arrive soon after with their signature food items; a leafy salad for Reyna and the eponymous Pocari Sweat for Keita. _Everyone's here, so perhaps now's the right time._ As the conversation enters a suitable lapse, you clear your throat to get everyone's attention. "Hey guys, so I had this crazy dream last night…"

With a smile on your face, you launch into an animated recount of your escapade in the golden city. Reyna is slightly amused by your description of the citizens in the golden city; Sally and Yukie squeal at the description of the little city dweller and then descend into laughter at your attempt to mimic his 'happy umbrella dance'. By the time you get to the end of your story, the others have settled into a comfortable silence. That is, until you tell them about the voice you heard before waking up. One by one, each of their faces turn from light-hearted to stricken before you even finish the sentence. _Something about their reactions are a bit odd. Wait, could it be? _"Guys?" You ask, "What's the matter?"

Yukie is the first the speak up, her voice quavering as she says, "S-Steve… I heard a voice like that in my dreams yesterday too…" Urgent nodding from the other 5 confirm that this event is consistent with theirs as well.

This is either so coincidental that it's almost hilarious, or downright unsettling. "Quick, what did they say?" you blurt, eagerly awaiting a response.

"I don't really remember, it said something like I have the ability to take from things…" Yukie stammers as Sally chimes in:

"Mine told me that I had to manipulate something to heal others… It sounds cool, like a medic class in an RPG!" She grins as she rubs her hands together, and you smile to yourself. Trust Sally to find something cool out of such an eerie event. Janet's face lights up a little as she remembers the voice telling her to control her Aspect to help her friends, which as far as you can tell, she's pretty happy about this 'power'. Reyna states something along the lines of embodying an aspect, and Keita maintains a stoic face as he tells of the voice's instruction to protect his friends with his own. His face remains blank, but somewhere inside you know that he's deeply proud of this job he received. You've known him long enough to decipher that.

_BRRRRRRING. _The incessant ringing of the school bells shatter the heavy atmosphere like a hammer through tempered glass. With a collective sigh, the six of you disperse to your lessons, with an agreement to play Sburb after school as well.

* * *

The gate is locked when you finally reach home. _Ah, they must be out._ You fish around for the gate key in your pocket, while managing to drop your English and Geography folders at the same time. Cursing to yourself, you quickly scoop them up and turn the key. The gate unlocks with a 'click' and you briskly enter. True enough, nobody's at home. Your mother must've brought your younger brothers out to swimming practice. Usually you'd be going too, but with the exams coming in the next 2 months she's decided to cut you some slack. You bound up the stairs and hastily unpack your bag, taking out your laptop and plugging in the charger. After a refreshing shower, you turn it on and check Steam. Sburb had taken all of last night to download thanks to your _exceedingly fast _internet connection. It seems that the others have done exactly the same thing, and the group is already chatting on Skype.

Keita, Sally and Reyna are already online and waiting, and you greet them as you join the chat. Reyna asks if you have downloaded Sburb, to which you reply in the affirmative. You quickly check the downloaded files and find that amongst the installer and some icons, there is a rather large .txt file. It's titled 'Sburb walkthrough by TentacleTherapist'. _Well, this looks like it might come in handy. _You mention on the chat that you've received a walkthrough as part of the downloaded files, and ask whether the others have a .txt file in their downloads as well. When neither of them can find one, it leaves you quite puzzled. _Why is this thing here then?_

Just then, Yukie and Janet appear on the chat. Sally suggests that since you have the walkthrough, it would be a good idea to send it to everyone so that they can access it too. Well, that's what you try to do at least, but Skype will have none of it. No matter how you try, the upload displays an error message every time. "It's ok," you say. "I'll go through each of the important points with you guys, so that everyone knows what to do." There seems to be a general agreement to your preposition, as you prepare the installer and start out a group call. "Okay, has everyone got the installer going?" you ask. The group replies in unison, and you begin to read out the beginning of the walkthrough. _Wow. Whoever this TentacleTherapist is, they have very flowery vocabulary._

Reyna chuckles a little at the florid prose in which it is written, and somewhere in the midst of the numerous extended metaphors, you salvage some important information. "There are three items that we can place down for free," you say. "The Cruxtruder, the Totem Lathe and the Alchemiter. The walk through also mentions that we shouldn't mess around with the Cruxtruder just yet, so please don't touch it."

Handily, the Sburb installer finishes it's work and the main menu pops up on your screen.

Keita asks if everyone has Sburb running, to which there is a collective agreement. "Okay," says Keita. "The menu is asking me to connect to another player's session. So are we going to do some sort of closed loop thing?"

You scan through the file, and the walk through seems to recommend this sort of approach. "According to this thing, that's probably the best thing to do," you reply. "I guess that would mean we're all going to be the server player of someone else in this group. What are your account names?" A chorus of clacking sounds ensue as 5 usernames appear on the Skype IM bar. You type in yours as well.

A button labeled 'Enter session players' pops up. You enter in the usernames of your friends, including your own. A local waiting area appears, where the usernames of your friends that are connected show up on the side bar.

So far, everything is going smoothly. Another button appears, with the words 'Randomly allocate player order' clearly visible on it. "Okay, so does nobody mind a random shuffle?" says Reyna. Nobody seems to have any preference, so you click the button and watch as the names toggle back and forth on screen. When they finally settle, the display indicates that Reyna will be your server player, while you will be surveying Keita's session.

"Well that's settled," you say at last, as the others chatter among themselves. "Okay. Is everyone ready?"

"Ready." Keita's voice is collected and calm.

"YES~!" Janet's exuberant exclamation is quite the opposite.

"I'm all set." Reyna sounds amused by this whole situation. This is the first time that anyone's ever successfully gotten her to play a video game.

"O-Okay." Yukie doesn't sound very confident.

"Yeeeeeeah. Come on, let's goooooo…!" Sally's raring to go._  
_

A big green 'Initiate session' button finally appears on the screen. _Here goes nothing. _

_Click._

* * *

AN: Good day everyone,

I've managed to finish Chapter 3 ahead of schedule, which is pretty neat! However as stated before, finals month is snapping on my heels and that means I'll be on a semi-hiatus until the 3rd of June. Yeah... it's a long time I know. However, the exam month won't be jam-packed and i'll have a few days here and there, which I may use to sort out and publish Chapter 4. Hopefully I can get that out to you guys before then!

Thanks for understanding, and sorry for the inconvenience!


	4. Chapter 4: Sucker Punch

Chapter 4: Sucker Punch

Your name is Keita Kawaguchi, and this is one of the coolest games that you've ever played in your 15 years of existence. Sure, you've tried your hand at some pretty sweet games over the years but for now, Sburb's got that 'new game dazzle' to it, where everything is new and exciting to you. It is an 'immersive simulation' after all, and that in itself is a startlingly accurate summary of the game. After taking the time to skim through the basic controls, you're having a blast just picking up a pillow and throwing it around your client player's room.

If you were to have a conversation with your past self, you're pretty sure he'd judge you for this sort of action. _So tell me, how exactly is throwing a pillow around on a computer screen 'fun'? _You suppose that would actually be a very good point. Except the only thing is, everything you're doing is actually happening and affecting the environment of your client, which is Yukie. _Sweet isn't it? _Taking a hold of Yukie's pillow again, you twirl it around with your cursor, flip it in the air twice and _smoosh _it on her head.

Your client player only grimaces at your antics, as she's manipulating somebody else's room on her computer as well. "Keita-" Her voice is muffled as you _smoosh _the pillow in her face. "-mmphhhpphh!" She swats the pillow away, slightly annoyed. "Are you done with that pillow now?" You chuckle in reply, to which she follows up with a haughty tone. "No fair... how come your server player isn't harassing you with pillows?"

Another good point. What _is _your server player up to? Just at that moment, you feel something sharp prodding your back. "GAH!" you blurt, whipping your head around and nearly falling of your chair at the same time. However, all you see is the rest of your room. _What could that have been? Wait a minute…_

Steve's laughter rings through your headset. So much for your server player being inactive. "N-Not funny, Steve… Idiot," you mutter into the microphone.

"Hey come on, that was hilarious!" he replies. _Goddammit Steve. _The prankster's gambit begins to sway even further in his favour. You sigh. When has it ever not?

"Alright Steve," you say. "Were you really just waiting all that time to prank me? Cause you know, that's kind of a waste of time…" You trail off as Steve begins to speak again, this time with a more serious tone. It seems that during his period of 'inactivity', he'd been looking through that walkthrough he found with the rest of the files.

Speaking of the walkthrough, you've tried googling to find one, but to no avail. _Of course not, anyway. This game is still in beta. How can there be walkthroughs if we're the ones who are supposed to playtest this? Is there even a plot in this game? _

This revelation raises another question. Where did Steve get that walkthrough? Does he even _have _one? You're pretty sure your logic is sound at this point. Since you and your friends have been chosen to playtest, there shouldn't be any in existence yet. If so, then there's a good chance that Steve isn't telling the truth… _But what purpose would that serve? _In any case, you decide to go along with whatever Steve's saying for now. If it helps the game, then it'll be fine for now. You'll just bring it up later on and find out the truth.

Steve's going on about a 'Phernalia Registry' and the placement of some machines which are supposed to benefit the game somehow. You move over to the garage in Yukie's house and find the Phernalia Registry on your UI. Sure enough, there are three machines; the Cruxtruder, Totem Lathe and Alchemiter. _Huh...so maybe he does have a walkthrough. No wait, perhaps he found it by exploring the UI. Yeah, that sounds about right._

The machines are deployed in a jiffy, and the trio of 'thunk' sounds in the background indicate that Steve's done the same. Strange card designs called 'Sylladexes' are shown in the top bar of the Sburb UI, and after consulting Steve, you find out that they serve as a way of keeping inventory in the game. You peruse the collection, and find a variety of odd and rather impractical ones. Ouija? Jenga? Tech Hop? _They all look quite over-the-top and ridiculous. _You settle on the Array fetch modus, and it seems that most of your group has chosen that one too.

You leave your desktop to check on the contraptions, and to make sure that Steve hasn't destroyed anything as well. They're placed in a spare room down the corridor, with enough remaining space to move around. After a quick scan of the surroundings, you're convinced that no real damage has been done. As you open the door to leave, you almost bump into one of your caretakers. Evidently, she's come to check on the source of the thump noises. "Uh...uh… Don't worry about these. It's part of a school project...play," you sputter. You can tell by her face that she's not buying it. _Well, time to improvise._ "They're...spray painted and we've put in LEDs so they look kind of real," you add. "Seriously! P-Please don't worry,".

You manage to persuade your caretaker out of the room, and rush back to your desktop. "Hurry Steve, I don't know how long I can keep my uh… _helpers _out of the way. Let's start them up and get rid of them ASAP," you say.

Steve's voice sounds inexplicably cheerful as he chatters over the call. "Okay then Keita, we'll start everything nicely before your butlers can find out what's up. Right, it's about time for us to activate the cruxtruder, says the walkthrough-"

"Y-You…! I don't have butlers! They're...they're… helpers!" you retort, gnashing your teeth vehemently. Steve just chuckles at your response, and carries on. _Goddammit Steve. _He proceeds to ask everyone if they have the machines placed and ready, to which there is a resounding affirmation. You put on your handsfree and enter the other room again, with instructions to locate a wheel on the Cruxtruder. Luckily, there seems to only be one wheel, which makes things all the more simple.

"Now, everyone's gotta turn that wheel," instructs Steve. You place your hands on the wheel, and hesitate. _What if it's a trap? What if something blows up and we all die? There isn't any clear plot in this game yet… it could be a bad end. _Just then, the sound of footsteps echo down the hallway. _Oh my god, is that someone else coming? Crap, I don't know how long I can bluff my way out of this. Here goes. _Gripping the wheel with both hands, you give the wheel a firm clockwise turn. The Cruxtruder begins to rumble, and the lid opens up with a bright blue light.

"Holy shit!" You back away and shield your eyes from the blinding light. A luminous ball of green light shoots out from the open lid and hovers in the centre of the room, emitting an ethereal and ghastly glow.

Meanwhile, the chat is chaotic mess of exclamations and apprehensive voices. Judging from the ensuing hysteria, the others have experienced a similar situation. Only Steve's voice is relatively calm, though you are able to detect a hint of panic in his tone. "A-Alright everyone, hurry," he says, "You gotta chuck something at that ball… It'll become your guide for the game's story, supposedly…"

The glowing ball seems to follow you around, so there's no trouble telling it where to go. You re-enter your room after composing yourself, and look for something suitable to put into the orb. Your room is a treasure trove of gundam collectibles, mainly gunpla and some posters of the Strike Freedom and the Sinanju that you ordered online. All along your numerous shelves are gunpla built with painstaking detail and clearly very well cared for. Your more precious models are kept in clear cases of acrylic. They are your precious babies. If anyone were to touch them, let alone drop them onto the floor… No doubt it would be an unforgivable act. _You would make their life a living hell. _

You pick up one of the Haro dolls on your bed, contemplating whether to use it for the orb. It seems self-explanatory that this 'guide' would have all the functions of it's host, and a robotic mascot that can help to repair gundams would be pretty useful. Even if it you're never going to need to repair a gundam, it might be useful for fixing other things. With a mighty throw, you score a direct hit on the orb with your doll. The orb flickers and flashes again, and turns into HaroSprite!

It seems that the call is still inundated with incessant chatter. Steve's once again at the helm, relaying further instructions. _A cruxite dowel? What's that? _It is a mystery easily solved, as you find it sitting nicely on top of the Cruxtruder when you enter the spare room. It's a green crystalline cylinder, which you take and place on the Totem Lathe. The lathe clamps the dowel firmly into place, and the little screen lights up with the message 'Insert card'. _The card. Now where is that card? _As if on cue, the pre-punched card appears out of nowhere and _smooshes _into your face. "Bluh!" you splutter. "What the hell Steve!"

"Whoops, I almost forgot to add it in." He snickers as you grudgingly take the card from the floating cursor. _Fine. You win this time round._

Yukie pipes up. "Wait, wait, did you get smooshed? A-ha! Karma, Keita~! Kaaarma!" _Gaaaah. Goddammit Steve._

A streak of light that illuminates the window interrupts your thoughts. Curiosity piqued, you ignore the chatter of the others and head over to the window to take a look. The scene that greets you sends sudden shivers down your spine, and you stand rooted to the spot like a helpless tree.

You can practically feel the dread rising in your gut. The world is ending.

A low rumble picks up in the distance, and gradually increases in amplitude. The sky is alight, awash in reds, oranges and yellows. In the centre of it all is a blazing ball of fire, hurtling earthward. _A meteor._

At that moment, the skype call loses any sort of order it has. You can vaguely hear the panicked shouts of Sally, Yukie and Janet. They're scared. The same thing must be happening to them. _The world can't end like this. IGCSEs haven't even started yet. _Steve's end is unusually silent. Just then, Reyna speaks up. "H-hey guys, calm down!" Her voice is less of a blubbering wreck than anyone else's, but there is a trace of worry in it somewhere. "This is just a game remember? It's called an immersive simulation for a reason. It's a simulation. You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna take a notebook and start taking notes as a playtester. That's what we're supposed to be doing, remember?"

Her words cut right through the clutter of your whirling thoughts, giving you a moment of absolute clarity. _That's right. It's just a game. _You rummage around for a paper pad and a pen, and immediately write down 'Impressive gameplay so far. I felt as if I was actually living it. It really is quite something.'

The others come to their wits as well, and the panicked atmosphere quickly subsides. Steve's end picks up once again, but for some reason he sounds awfully… rushed. "Guyshurry-put thecard-inthelathe-alchemisethetotem-Ihavetogosoon-I REPEAT. PUT CARD IN LATHE, TAKE TOTEM, ALCHEMISE. THEN BREAK IT."

"Steve! What's going on?" Yukie's voice is fraught with confusion and fear.

"I have to go seeyouontheotherside"

_Steve has disconnected._

* * *

AN: Thank you for your patience, and apologies that I couldn't get back to you at an earlier date. Here is chapter 4! *claps enthusiastically* My exams are over now, and I'm pleased to say that it has been a month of smooth sailing! Well, we're finally nearing the characters' entry to the Medium so the pace should start picking up. That being said, this series will be returning to updating every week by Sunday at least. Until then!


	5. Chapter 5 (Interlude): Backtrack

Chapter 5: Backtrack

You are now the Draconian Dignitary.

Of all the tasks you've ever had to do for your boss, Jack Noir, this is by far the most humiliating.

At first, it sounded simple: a little undercover reconnaissance on the moon of Prospit. Yet, it was before you realised that _undercover _meant dressing as a resident of this disgusting custard-coloured planet.

You fight hard to hide the rising blush in your cheeks as you are once again aware of your silly costume, which Jack promised was 'typical Prospitian streetwear'. Your lovely black carapace is now coated in a bleaching agent, which gives it the same ivory sheen as the locals on Prospit. Gone are your trendy coats and shirts; instead you stand cringing in an alley wearing an outfit that seems as if it was cut out of patchwork quilt. And the colours! Pastel blue and pale green? _Honestly, these people have no fashion sense._

You wish that you were at home. Anything would be better than walking around this frivolous circus show of a planet, where everyone seems determined to be cheerful and affable. _Disgusting. _The shade of every single building in this god-forsaken hellhole (with sprinkles) is quite conveniently, in your most hated colour. _Yellow_. It makes everything here seem so irritatingly cheesy.

Other than your ridiculous outfit, it wasn't that difficult to go undercover. Your people, the Dersites, are basically the same as the Prospitians in terms of anatomy. Both are clad in carapaces which serve as exoskeletons, and have barcodes on their wrists. Both have a pair of arms and legs, and walk upright. Both have similar roundish heads, with a pair of eyes and a mouth. The one big difference between the two races is that the Prospitians have an alabaster carapace and live on the yellow planet of Prospit, whereas Dersites such as yourself are clad in ebony, and live on the purple planet of Derse. Apart from colour, the architecture of the two is the same, though in your honest opinion Derse is much better. There is an air of subterfuge and mystery lingering around the Dersite spires, though it might that you just hate Prospit.

Prospit. More like Pro_SPIT._ You grind your teeth in barely contained frustration as you consult your map again, trying to find your way back to the transportaliser, so that you can leave this custard coloured 'funhouse' once and for all. Spit starts to build up in your mouth, and you contemplate spitting on the floor to prove your mental point. Pro_SPIT. _

This little recon operation has been absolutely fruitless; perhaps the only thing to note is that one of the funny looking pink-skinned kids has awoken, and started flying around the place like a nincompoop. He then proceeded to enter a small alcove, and five minutes later was seen flying out like a speeding bullet.

What was in that alcove that caused such a reaction? It might have been anything, but you decide to take a look yourself. Just across the street, your partner in crime is doing an excellent job at providing a distraction. The Courtyard Droll (as he calls himself) appears to be attracting a large crowd with his 'happy umbrella dance'. With his short stature and an infectiously joyous disposition, he appears to be in his element as the Prospitians shower his upturned hat with boondollars. You can't help but grin at the situation. _For once, his stupid umbrella dance has proved to be useful. He really might be better as a Prospitian._

With everyone in the vicinity fixated on your prancing partner, you make yourself as inconspicuous as possible and make your way into the archway you witnessed the boy enter. As you step into the alcove, you take little interest in the details etched onto the walls and ceiling. Whoever they were, they probably spent years on that. _Whatever. _The darkening corridor leads into a cavernous room, circular in design, with symbols carved onto the walls at regular intervals. There seems to be a computer in the centre, but it doesn't respond despite your interactions with it. Nothing in this rooms seems particularly noteworthy, besides those symbols on the wall. You recognise them as visual representatives of each Aspect, and realise that the Time symbol is illuminated with a faint glow. A few others are as well; Space, Life, Doom, Blood and Heart. The rest remain dark.

After convincing yourself that there is nothing else of interest, you make your way out of the chamber and down a set of spiral staircases leading to the street. It appears that the Prospitian police have caught onto the Courtyard Droll's 'unlicensed busking', and are at the scene. The crowd however, is on his side- after a lengthy dicker, they let the Courtyard Droll off with a warning. Your pint-sized companion takes his hat full of boondollars and gives a tiny bow to the loving crowd, before trotting over to your side. You let his excited yapping pass over your head as you consult the map once again to find your bearings. Soon afterwards, you settle into a leisurely stroll with your excitable partner, a clear path etched in your mind.

You're not sure about the importance of the chamber, but the fact that one of the kids is awake is no doubt something Jack would like to know. _When one of them awakes, the others are soon to follow. _Jack, being the archagent, is the third most powerful figure on Derse, after the Black King and Queen themselves. It would be imperative to inform him of this new revelation. As you turn into a backalley, the transportaliser responds to your barcode and removes it's invisibility veil. _Just another measure to ensure that such portals remain solely under the use of Dersite agents, _you think to yourself as you step onto the circular pad with the Courtyard Droll.

A faint humming sound emanates from the machine, and in a flash you are reduced into atoms.

Three milliseconds later, you rematerialise. No longer are you on that cheese-coloured nightmare planet; instead you find yourself thousands of miles away, in the transportaliser room of the Dersite Agent Headquarters. _Home at last._

You step off the pad and immediately remove the patchwork nightmare that is the Prospitian disguise, and replace it with a sleek black coat you left in a nearby locker. Cleaning off the bleaching agent would have to wait, as Jack will be wanting the results of your recon mission at the earliest opportunity. With the Courtyard Droll in tow, you stride down the aubergine hallways of the Agent Headquarters, making a beeline for Jack Noir's office.

As you pass by the command room, an urgent beeping catches your attention. Your fellow Dersite Agents are already scurrying into action, making telephone calls and typing furiously on consoles. All the while, the beeping persists. Displayed on the front monitor in bold red letters are the words:

"The Heir has entered the Medium."


	6. Chapter 6: Landfall

Chapter 6: Landfall

You are Steve Norwood once again. Up until about three minutes ago, you were leading a pretty normal life. But of course, that was before you played Sburb. In a whirl of events, everything seemed to spiral out of control ever since you first saw the meteorite, the metaphorical hourglass ticking down towards your certain demise. Seeing the rocky mass hurtling towards your house caused pangs of fear to jolt through your body, and sped up every action afterwards by threefold. Adrenaline had never coursed through your veins in such vast quantities before.

Following the walkthrough's advice, you scurried frantically around the house, prototyping your kernelsprite and alchemising the cruxite dowel that you carved with the pre-punched card. After warning your friends, you rushed to the alchemising pad and stamped on the alchemised artifact with all the grit you could muster, just as you felt the encroaching heat of the apocalyptic harbinger. Streaks of blinding light shot out from the artifact, obscuring your vision, and white noise filled your ears as your mind went blank.

And now here you are on the cold floor of your house; confused, dazed and drained. You must've been knocked out from the blast…What's going on? Oh yes. A meteorite was about to demolish my house and everything in it. Unless you're already dead and this is the afterlife, there definitely seems to be a lack of flaming debris and desolation. You pick yourself off the floor and head back into your room, noticing that everything is just as you left it. That's right. It's just a game.

Reaching for your notepad and pen, you quickly write: 'Amazing in-game experience. Dangers felt real. It was difficult to keep in mind that fact that everything is just a game. Truly immersive.' So far, the game has been unlike any other; with it's insanely clear graphics and omni-surround sound, it's already blowing your mind right out of the water. Even the scripted events in the game seem eerily real. You can no longer tell the difference between real and virtual.

As you finish writing the sentence, it occurs to you that you have no explanation for the fate of the meteorite. Where did it go? You head over to your window to investigate. However, the meteorite is quickly banished from your train of thought as you look outside. What you see is…Well… You're not in Kansas anymore. Wait. You never were. Ugh brain, way to ruin the moment.

The first thing that strikes you as odd is the light, or the lack thereof. You distinctly remember playing the game in the late afternoon, so you're caught off guard when you see a velvety dark sky, with the moon hanging daintily in place. Gone are the houses on the opposite end of the street, along with all the buildings you were able to see in the distance. The apartment block, the perpetually unfinished shopping mall, the school… Not a trace. Even your neighbour's house is nowhere to be seen. Instead, you find that your house is now in the middle of a small glade, surrounded by sprawling birch trees. In the distance, you are able to make out the skyline of a massive city. A vibrant aura radiates from the tallest buildings, as the city lights illuminate the night sky around it with a pulsing glow.

You can't help but wonder how this game works. Indeed, whatever world you've been virtually transported to seems totally irrelevant to the original plot of the game. Teleportation doesn't exist, so does that mean this is isn't your real body, Steve. More likely, it's an avatar of yourself. Your mother and siblings should be back by now, and you wonder what they would see when they enter your room. Would you just be sitting limply in front of your monitor, eyes glazed over? What if you aren't there?

A sudden noise snaps you out of your reverie. You cast your eyes to the front gate, and fear begins to well up in your stomach as a horde of black imp-like creatures amass at the front gate. Calm down, it's a game construct… Low level mobs designed to be cannon fodder… Yet your heart refuses to slow down. Your eyes dart around the room, looking for anything that could be used as a deterrent. It's in its usual state; a mishmash of tidy and messy somehow amalgamated into a single room. If you were asked to describe it in two words, it would be 'organised chaos'. All your clutter is conspiratorily located in a few choice locations, and the many drawers in your room conceal more junk than you like to think. Yet somehow, it is as if everything is in it's designated spot, but somehow still ends up looking cluttered. Your prototyped kernelsprite is hovering on top of your bed. During the meteorite episode, you threw your beloved ducky plush toy at it in a panicked frenzy, hence the name Mallardsprite was given to it.

As the sound of fists pummeling on metal grows louder, your mind races in desperation. You begin to entertain the idea of using your books as projectiles, when your eyes inadvertently fall upon the far corner of the room. You sigh. It's that or nothing, Steve.

Truth be told, you were kind of hoping that it wouldn't come down to this. Tucked away in the corner of the room are two things which would potentially not be found in a teenage boy's room. One of these is a functioning crossbow, the other is a replica katana, sheath and all.

You pick up the crossbow. It's actually a pretty solid piece of woodwork and PVC plastic, which Reina helped you to build a few months ago during the Easter break. She's got a good eye for measuring and handy with tools as well, which lead to the creation of this junkyard wonder from scrap wood and plastic. A total of 10 bolts lie neatly in a small container nearby. Only 10, because the both of you got bored of sawing and whittling down wood into projectiles for the crossbow. And how often was it going to be used, anyway?

The katana was a result of simply being in the right place at the right time. You spotted it on a day out at an anime convention with the gang. The shopkeeper shooed you away when you touched the sheath, but when you dragged your parents over later in the evening, it caught the interest of your dad as well. Soon afterwards, it was hanging from a wall in your room, and still is. With the utmost care, you unsheathe the blade and immediately your heart sinks. This is not going to work at all. At a width of 1mm, the cutting edge is terribly blunt. You couldn't cut anything with it even if you wanted to. At best, you might be able to bludgeon the imps into submission…

A chorus of shrieks brings your attention to the window, and your jaw drops as the imps pile on top of each other and clamber over your front gate. Wasting no time, you allocate the crossbow to your strife specibus and place the katana and bolts in your sylladex. You somehow manage to hurtle down the stairs without tripping and take position near the front door, your heart pounding madly in your chest. Mallardsprite quacks amiably behind you. Equipping the crossbow, you slide a bolt into place with trembling and sweaty hands. You can do this. They're only low-level mobs.

As the first imp approaches, you nudge open the door and fire through the small opening. You grimace as the bolt slams squarely into the imps' shoulder, but any fighting chance of using the crossbow disappears as three others swarm in to take its place. This is useless! There are too many of them to use this crossbow properly! Your palms start to resemble faulty water sprinklers as you realise this. The imps would be on to you before you could fire enough to hit all three of them. The katana feels strange in your grip, and you unsheathe the blade with great unease. Here goes nothing.

You fling the door wide open, and yell with a ferocity formed from pent up anxiety. This gives the intended effect of making the imps flinch, and you use this opportunity to take a mighty swing at the nearest two. The unfortunate imps are knocked back a couple of metres, and poof into coloured polyhedrons which looks suspiciously like… build grist? Of course, that's how you get more of them. You settle into a battle-ready stance as the next imp jumps up to attack. Another swing, and the imp crashes to the floor in a puff of smoke. At least seven of them remain, and they all rush in together to avenge their comrades. Faced with the sudden onslaught, all of your bravado suddenly evaporates. Dude, you don't know shit about swordfighting, do you?

The sudden revelation seizes you up in a moment of self-doubt, and the imps close the gap to score a direct hit. You hit the floor, arms flailing in a meager attempt to bat away multiple claws and limbs. All the while they swipe and gnash at you, spittle flying with fury. Your constant flailing eventually works to some degree, and you manage to give yourself a little area to move around. You reach for the katana, but the sword now feels like an unwieldy lump of metal and you feel like a lumbering fool as you make awkward swipes at your foes. Fortunately, you were right in the fact that they are just beginner-level fodder and even your crappy swordsmanship gets the job done.

Eventually, the last of them is successfully eliminated, and you stand alone as the victor of the battle. Exhausted, sweaty and triumphant, you yell to the skies "WHO'S DA MAN?" and strike a victory pose. Mallardsprite looks blankly at your triumphant gesture, and utters a single quack.

After collecting up all the fallen build grist, you sheathe the sword, chuck everything back into your sylladex and trudge back up to your room. You sit down to take an inventory of the build grist that you've accumulated, which comes to a tidy sum of shale, grist and tar. A blinking light catches your attention, and as you move closer to investigate, it seems to be just your router undergoing a reset. Ah yes, you've left the others wondering for far too long. You flip up the laptop monitor and log back in.

That's odd. None of them are online.

AN: It's still Sunday right? Well yeah it is here at least. Sorry for the late-ish release, I'd intended to publish this chapter earlier but I had a busy day today. But anyway, here it is! 


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